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48 hours on Fraser Island

With crystal-clear creeks, wild dingoes and fabulous whale watching offshore, two days on Fraser Island are full of natural highlights.

The world’s largest sand island, World-Heritage-listed Fraser Island is constantly evolving and full of natural beauty including turquoise- and emerald-coloured lakes, meandering creeks and white-sand beaches. Butchulla Aborigines knew Fraser Island as K’gari, or “paradise”, and after 48 hours here you’ll know why.

Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island, Queensland

DAY ONE

Take a four-wheel drive to an inland lagoonIf you’re staying at Kingfisher Bay Resort, begin the day with a swim at the resort’s beach before heading to breakfast at the onsite Maheno Restaurant. Then start your exploration of this 184,000 hectare sand island by hiring a 2- or 5-seater 4WD vehicle, all of which come with in-car commentary in English, French, German, Italian and Korean. Drive along sandy tracks to the dazzling Lake McKenzie, with white shores that are warm and silky to the touch due to the fine silica sand.

After an unforgettable freshwater swim, return to the resort for a casual lunch at Sandbar, looking out to the Great Sandy Strait that divides Fraser Island from the mainland.

Whale watching, Fraser Island, Queensland

Do a whale-watching tour in Hervey BayIn season, between August and October, the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay, off Fraser Island, are visited by large numbers of humpback whales, including many mothers and their newborn calves, making it one of the most reliable places to see whales in Australia. If you’re lucky the curious creatures will come right up to your tour boat, their entire bodies visible in the clear, blue ocean.

For a different day out, book an hour-long Segway tour along the island’s western shore with a ranger from Kingfisher Bay Resort. Then finish the day with a romantic meal at the resort’s Seabelle restaurant, where native ingredients such as bush tomato and smoked kangaroo star.

Maheno wreck, Seventy Five Mile Beach, Fraser Island, Queensland

DAY TWO

Take a Beauty Spots tourThe best way to see this World Heritage-listed island is to take a 4WD Beauty Spots tour with a ranger from Kingfisher Bay Resort. At Pile Valley, you’ll stroll through forests of satinay and brush box trees, reaching up to 40 metres tall, follow Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station before having a picnic lunch at one of Fraser Island’s most fetching locations, perhaps overlooking the emerald-hued Lake Wabby gradually being swallowed by a sandblow.

You’ll also drive on the 120-kilometre eastern beach, taking in the wreck of the Maheno, a ship that ran aground in 1935, and stop to glide down the translucent Eli Creek.

Scenic flight above Fraser Island, Queensland

Take a flight from the runway on the beachIf there’s time in the afternoon, taking a short scenic flight above Fraser Island is a thrilling way of seeing its unkempt beauty, as the light plane takes off and lands on the beach.

If relaxation is more what you have in mind, then book in for a massage or a treatment at Kingfisher’s Natural Therapies salon. Then follow it up with a cheese platter and sunset drinks at the resort’s Jetty Hut, before ending the day with a ranger-led Night Walk, spotlighting nocturnal animals like sugar gliders in surrounding forest.

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